Become a Trustee of Hazel Hill Trust and help shape our work to bring people back into contact with nature.
Volunteer role description: Non-executive Trustee
- Location: A mixture of on-site at Hazel Hill Wood, near Salisbury and online via Zoom.
- Time commitment: Minimum one day per month.
About the organisation
Hazel Hill Trust is a place to explore what it means for us to restore both our inner and outer relationship with the more-than-human world. Founded in 2015, the charity owns and cares for Hazel Hill Wood, a magical 75-acre woodland and off-grid retreat centre near Salisbury, Wiltshire. Through practical woodland conservation, retreats and training, we offer a space to bring people together for immersive nature connection experiences rooted in interconnectedness and reciprocity with the many diverse forms of life at the wood.
About the role
We are seeking three people to join our board of Trustees to play a vital role in helping set direction for the charity, overseeing our work and supporting staff as we develop the charity.
The Hazel Hill Trustees take ultimate responsibility for ensuring we meet our aims and that the charity is well run. Although the day-to-day operations of the charity are delegated to the executive Chair and the staff team, you will be responsible for approving policies and for making or approving the big decisions. In addition, as we move to a more self-organising management style in the team, Trustees will have an increasing role in championing and mentoring staff as they develop their own operational initiatives.
About the team
The board is currently made up of six trustees, with several due to retire in due course. We have four Trustee meetings a year (two face-to-face at the wood, and two online). Our operations are delivered by a mixture of permanent staff, contractors and a committed and growing group of volunteers. What brings everyone together is a love for Hazel Hill Wood and a passion for the benefits it can bring.
About you
You will have a strong interest in re-establishing people’s connection with nature and the benefits it can bring. You may have worked at a strategic level in these fields, or have relevant personal experience which drives your interest.
We have identified the need for the following skills and experience within our board:
- Someone who is locally embedded who can help us develop our connections with Salisbury and the wider area, and who can be a greater presence on site;
- Someone with senior experience of charity governance and organisational finance
- Someone who can support the team in developing its HR systems as we move from working with contractors to permanent members of staff;
- Someone who is under 30 who can bring the voice of the generation of people most likely to be affected by climate breakdown to our decision-making, who can help us to create an organization that is run in a way that is aligned with the needs and visions of the next generation.
We don’t expect one person to fill all these above requirements; however, all Trustees must:
- Be willing to uphold the vision, values and objectives of Hazel Hill Trust and adhere to the principles and practices of equality and diversity.
- Have time and capacity to prepare for and to attend regular Board meetings, sub-committees and ad-hoc project groups.
- Be willing to share your time and expertise to support the staff team with ad-hoc tasks (such as reading and providing feedback on documents).
What we can do for you
- Give you the chance to be involved in shaping the direction of an organization dedicated to working with one of the big questions of our time: how do we shift our relationship with nature so that we can restore our ecosystems and contribute towards a future rooted in a recognition of the interconnectedness of all life.
- Enable you to contribute to a charity that is seeking to make a positive difference to people in Salisbury, Wiltshire and the wider areas.
- Access to Hazel Hill Wood accommodation, which as a Trustee you and your family can stay at to deepen your connection with the place and with the team.
- Provide you with supervision and informal training in being a Trustee.
- Pay out-of-pocket expenses you may incur (e.g. travel).
Further information
Twice-yearly face-to-face trustee meetings usually run from Sunday 6pm to lunchtime on a Monday. Ideally you would be able to attend these meetings, but we don’t want this way of working to become a barrier to good applicants applying.
If you are interested, please contact Oliver Broadbent (oliver@hazelhill.org.uk), Chair of Trustees for an informal conversation to find out more about the role. If you think it is right for you please fill in an application form. No CV required. The deadline for applications is 31st August 2021. The recruitment panel will shortlist and interview candidates in September. The interview will be held with a panel of three Trustees on Monday 11th October, in a face-to-face format at the wood unless prevented by new restrictions, and otherwise by zoom. We will pay travel expenses for the interview.
If you are appointed, you will initially be invited to attend two meetings (one face-to-face in the morning of 8th November and one online in January) as a trial period for you to see how we work. If you are happy to carry on then we will formally add you to the Board of Trustees and appoint you as a Director at our meeting in March 2022.